Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy versus psychoeducational intervention in bipolar outpatients: Results from a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Introduction

Few controlled trials have assessed the impact of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) on symptoms and functioning in bipolar disorder (BD). This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of MBCT adjunctive group treatment.

Material and methods

Randomized, prospective, multicenter, single-blinded trial that included BP-outpatients with subthreshold depressive symptoms. Participants were randomly assigned to three arms: treatment as usual (TAU); TAU plus psychoeducation; and TAU plus MBCT. Primary outcome was change in Hamilton-D score; secondary endpoints were change in anxiety, hypo/mania symptoms and functional improvement. Patients were assessed at baseline (V1), 8 weeks (V2) and 6 months (V3). Main hypothesis was that adjunctive MBCT would improve depressive symptoms more than psychoeducation.

Results

Eighty-four participants were recruited (MBCT = 40, Psychoeducation = 34, TAU = 10). Depressive symptoms improved in the three arms between V1 and V2 (p < 0.0001), and between V1 and V3 (p < 0.0001), and did not change between V2 and V3. At V3 no significant differences between groups were found. There were no significant differences in other measures either.

Conclusions

In our BD population we did not find superiority of adjunctive MBCT over adjunctive Psychoeducation or TAU on subsyndromal depressive symptoms; neither on anxiety, hypo/mania, relapses, or functioning.